The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-01
A SENTRY N SKIRTS.
flow the soldiers Bride saved His
Life.

Life.
During one severe season some 40
gears ago-a winter remarkable for its
long and inclement frost. experienced
with equal rigor throughout Italy.
France and Germany. where the larg.
est rivers were rapidly congealed, and
people seen to fall dead with cold-in
the French town of Metz, poor sentl-
mel was sent upon guard on one of the
bettercst nights, when fierce north
wind added to the usual cold. His
watch was in the most exposed situa-
ton of the place, and he had scarcely
recovered from severe indisposition;
but he was a soldier and declared his
readiness to take his round.
1t CHANGED that he was betrothed to
n young woman of the same city, who
no sooner heard of his being on duty
than she began to lament bitterly, de-
claring it TO be impossible for him to
survive the insufferable severity of such
n night, after the illness under which
he still fingered.
Maddened at the idea, and needless
of consequences, she hastily clothed
herself as warmly as she could, ran out
of the house situated not far from the
place of the watch, and with the ut
most courage arrived alone Mt the spot.
And there she indeed found her poor
soldier, nearly exhausted as she had
imagined, being with d lliculty able to
keep his feet owing to The intenseness
of the frost She earnestly conjured
him to hasten, though only for little
VIII lie to revive himself at her house,
when, having taken some refreshment
he might return, but aware of the con-
sequences of such step. this ho kindly
though resolutely refused to do.
Suppose can do it with impupity,"
50 d the soldier, sis il noble or honor
able thus to abandon my post without
any one upon guard?"
But there will be some one; if you
consent TO go l will remain here until
you return. am not in the least
afraid; so be quick, and give me your
arms"
This request she enforced with so
much eloquence and tenderness and so
many tears that the poor soldier
against his better judgment was fan
to yield, more especially as he felt him
self becoming fainter and fainter and
unable much longer TO resist the cold.
Intending to return in few minutes
he left the kind-hearted girl in his
place, wrapped her in his cloak and
giving her his arms. and cap, together
with the watchword, and such was her
delight ut tho idea of saving the life of
her beloved that she was for time in
sensible to the intense severity Oh The
weather o.,
But just as she was Aatterng herself
with the hope of his return, an officer
made his appearance, who as she for
got in her confusion to give the sign,
suspected that the soldier had either
fallen asleep or fled. What was his
surprise on rushing to the spot to find
young girl overpowered with alarm
and unable to give any account of her.
self from her extreme agitation and
tears.
I Being instantly conducted to the
guard house and restored to some de-
gree of confidence, the poor girl con-
fessed the whole truth. soliciting with
the angu sh of doubt and distraction,
pardon for her bctrothed husband.
He was instantly summoned from her
house, but was found in such state of
weakness from the sulterings he had
undergone as to leave little prospect of
his surviving them. 1t was with much
difficulty. with the assistance of medi-
cal advice, that he was restored sulli-
GENTLY to give an intelligent account
of himself. after which he was placed
in close confinement to await trial.
Far happier had it been for me,
he exclaimed, on being restored to
consciousness. "far happier to have,
died at my post than to be thus re-
served for a cruel and ignominious
DEATH"
And the day of trial coming on,
such was the polite severity of the
mertial law, as he had well foreseen,
that he was condemned to be executed
within few days after his sentence.
Great rs was his .aflliclion on hear
ing these things. it was little in COM